RedTahr/techcommunity-post.txt

## techcommunity-post.txt
...putting this here so i don't loose them.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-10-security/Hardening-Windows-10-on-an-IT-Pro-s-laptop/td-p/180502

‎04-13-2018 04:13 PM - edited ‎04-16-2018 10:59 AM


a clean install of Windows 10 is pretty good, that said, I do have the following advice:
It is important to properly configure User Account Control on all machines; out of the box it is very insecure meaning anything can bypass it to grab admin privileges.
It is important to make sure that Secure Boot is enabled on all machines.
BitLocker is an obvious one, enable it on all machines.
You may want to use Windows Defender Firewall to block all inbound connections on the private and public profiles, its very effective for protecting devices in public places and usually has no negative impact but should be assessed per requirements.
You should deploy the uBlock Origin browser extension to all browsers, it blocks a significant amount of malware and greatly reduces the bandwidth used by your org; for the record, Chrome and Edge are much more secure than other browsers.
Also remember to properly patch, if Windows, Defender, or Browser are out of date then you WILL be targeted.
Following the above will significantly benefit you and your users and can be done by anybody without any extra cost; I hope that's useful for you

Edit: oh, and if you're ever able to: I recommend you look into Windows 10 S (soon to be called Windows Pro in S Mode)
yes, it gets a lot of stick for restricting you to Edge and Store apps but that thing is rock solid; even if you never ever use it, it's the best example of Device Guard Code Integrity in action and how powerful it can be when properly configured

Edit: from 1803 Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity (HVCI) will be enabled by default via clean install, you can enable it on previous versions by following these instructions: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/security/threat-protection/enable-virtualization-based-prot...
HVCI is a feature that helps defend against kernel level malware; I initially didn't mention it because I'm not sure what the real world benefits are and I'm aware that it can cause instability and performance problems, however since Microsoft seems to be pushing for its implementation I felt it was worth adding. (I imagine they may also do the same for DMA Protection in the future)


Best Response confirmed by Daniel Westerdale (Frequent Contributor)
	...putting this here so i don't loose them.

	https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-10-security/Hardening-Windows-10-on-an-IT-Pro-s-laptop/td-p/180502

	‎04-13-2018 04:13 PM - edited ‎04-16-2018 10:59 AM


	a clean install of Windows 10 is pretty good, that said, I do have the following advice:
	It is important to properly configure User Account Control on all machines; out of the box it is very insecure meaning anything can bypass it to grab admin privileges.
	It is important to make sure that Secure Boot is enabled on all machines.
	BitLocker is an obvious one, enable it on all machines.
	You may want to use Windows Defender Firewall to block all inbound connections on the private and public profiles, its very effective for protecting devices in public places and usually has no negative impact but should be assessed per requirements.
	You should deploy the uBlock Origin browser extension to all browsers, it blocks a significant amount of malware and greatly reduces the bandwidth used by your org; for the record, Chrome and Edge are much more secure than other browsers.
	Also remember to properly patch, if Windows, Defender, or Browser are out of date then you WILL be targeted.
	Following the above will significantly benefit you and your users and can be done by anybody without any extra cost; I hope that's useful for you

	Edit: oh, and if you're ever able to: I recommend you look into Windows 10 S (soon to be called Windows Pro in S Mode)
	yes, it gets a lot of stick for restricting you to Edge and Store apps but that thing is rock solid; even if you never ever use it, it's the best example of Device Guard Code Integrity in action and how powerful it can be when properly configured

	Edit: from 1803 Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity (HVCI) will be enabled by default via clean install, you can enable it on previous versions by following these instructions: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/security/threat-protection/enable-virtualization-based-prot...
	HVCI is a feature that helps defend against kernel level malware; I initially didn't mention it because I'm not sure what the real world benefits are and I'm aware that it can cause instability and performance problems, however since Microsoft seems to be pushing for its implementation I felt it was worth adding. (I imagine they may also do the same for DMA Protection in the future)



	Best Response confirmed by Daniel Westerdale (Frequent Contributor)